Tourist Places to Visit in Nara

When you travel to Nara, you will love to visit popular tourist spots and enjoy the local culture. Amongst other Things to do in Nara, you can surely explore some of the best things to do in Nara to make your trip a fulfilling one. On a trip to Nara things to do can include exploring Nara attractions and visiting the places of interest.

Discover the splendid city that recently celebrated its 1,300th birthday with Nara holidays. The neighborhood of Naramachi and Nara Park are among the city’s well-maintained historical sites that can be seen during Nara tours.

The popularity of Nara travel packages is because of the high number of designated National Treasures in the city. The powerful influence of Buddhism in the city resulted in the development of several cultural signposts, including temples and various shrines, making Nara holiday packages attractive deals.

You may choose to travel to Nara by first going to the Kansai or Osaka airport and then taking buses to the city. Trains bring people eager to see the many wonders of Nara from Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. A Nara tour is best completed on foot. You should go to Nara Park, where most shrines and temples are located. The Todai-ji is where the largest Buddhist statue in Japan is kept. The Daibutsu-den, which houses the statue, is believed to be the largest wooden building in the world.

The city’s museum of photography is an interesting halt during a trip to Nara. You can watch 10,000 candles brighten the night sky during Nara Toka, the festival of light, if you schedule your Nara vacation packages in August.

This is a Buddhist complex in Nara, Japan and is one of the seventh Historic monuments of Nara. The world’s largest bronze statue of Buddha Vairocana is present here and is known as Daibustu in Japanese. The headquarters of Japanese Kegon school of Buddhism is also located here.

Kofuku-ji

This is also a well known Buddhist temple in and one of the seven historic Monuments of Nara. All these seven monuments have been given the status of World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is the National headquarter of the Japanese Hosso school of Buddhism. It was established in early 669 by the wife of Fujiwara no Kamatari wishing her husband’s first recovery.

Gango-ji

This ancient Buddhist Temple of Nara is listed among one of the seven historic monuments of Nara. During the early years of construction of the temple it had as many as seven pagodas and halls in the precincts of Gango-ji which is a vast area now in Naramachi, a preserved district of modern Nara.

Yakushi-ji

This is the most famous monument of Nara, Japan and an ancient Buddhist temple. The headquarters of the Hosso school of Japan is also located in this temple. The temple was named after Yakushi Nyorai also known as the ‘Medicine Buddha’ which is the most ancient Buddhist deity which arrived in Japan in 680 from china. Only one original eighth century structure is present in the temple known as The East Pagoda established in 730.

Toshodai-ji

This is a Buddhist temple mainly of the Ritsu sect in Nara city in the Nara Prefecture of Japan. There is a classic golden Hall inside the temple known as Kondo which is single storied with a hipped tiled roof and a seven bay wide facade. It was originally founded by the Chinese Buddhist monk named Jianzhen in 759 in the Nara period. The golden Hall inside the temple is a National Treasure.

Kasuga Shrine

This is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Nara, Japan. This is actually the shrine of the Fujiwara family and is also rebuilt several times in the past. It has an exotic interior which is famous for its stone and bronze lanterns. In the path of the Kasuga Shrine falls the deer park where the deer’s are thought to be the messenger of the Shinto God and is allowed to roam freely. The shrine as well as the deer’s can be seen in many paintings of the Nambokucho Period.

Heijo Palace

This was an Imperial Residence situated in the Japanese capital city of Nara. It was also the administrative center of the city during the most of the Nara period from 710 to 794 CE. This huge palace consists of numerous big rectangular walled enclosures which are administrative and ceremonial buildings as well as government ministries. There is a separate residential complex inside these walled enclosures which is the compound of the Inner Palace or the emperor.

Nara Deer Park

You can enjoy a fun- filled day with your kids in the Nara deer park. In fact this can be the highlight of your Nara tour. This is a wonderful park under the control of Nara Prefecture and is at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. This is Public Park known for its scenic beauty. The most appreciable thing about the park is that the deer’s are allowed to roam about freely. You will see your kids enjoy feeding the deer who are cute and beautiful. Some of them can even nimble your dress and other stuffs if you are late feeding them.

Fun Filled Destinations for Kids

Museums

Museums

The Nara National Museum is a pre-eminent national art museum of Japan. It is located in Nara and the original building was founded and designed by Katayama Tokuma. This building represented Western style. This building was constructed in the Meiji period and is this is an important cultural property of Japan. You can find a huge collection of Buddhist art and sculpture in this museum. The Nara Machi Museum is another tourist attraction in Nara.

Parks and Gardens

Isuein Garden

Isuein Garden in Nara is a wonderful Japanese garden the name Isuein means a garden on water. This is because of the fact that the Ponds of the garden are fed with water from the nearby Yoshikigawa River. This garden is mainly divided into two portions- the front garden and the rear garden. There are also numerous tea houses which are scattered throughout the garden. Yoshikien Garden is also another beautiful Japanese Garden located in central Nara.

Places to see around

Places to see around

Once you are with any travel company of Nara you will be able to see all the important places of Nara very comfortable without any headache. All the popular destinations like the Heijo Shrine or Nara Deer Park is a must visit when you are in Nara. The local sightseeing of Nara also includes places like the Tdaiji Temple cultural Center, the Wakakusa hill, the Akishinodera Temple which is ranked 12 among the 75 attractions in Nara, Sarausawa-ike which is a water body and many more.

Natural Attractions

Natural attraction

Apart from being a city of historic monuments and temples Nara is also well known for its scenic beauty. Such exotic beauty makes it a must watch if you are in your Japan tour. The Nara Park and some of the gardens present here deserves a special mention when it comes to natural beauty of Nara. The most pleasant time to enjoy the natural beauty of Nara is in the spring when the gardens are all covered with beautiful flowers. The autumn also gifts Nara with some amazing sceneries.

Cultural Attractions

Cultural attractions

The city of Nara is also rich in culture. The city is mainly dominated by Buddhist culture. Numerous cultural properties are also there in Nara. Some of these properties has also emerged as important tourists destinations. These rich cultural properties are Sekito-ji which is a three storey Pagoda, Kairyuo-ji which is a miniature five storey Pagoda, Tamukeyama Jinja which is a royal treasury, Todai-ji which is a sutra repository, Horyu-ji which is a refectory, Horyu-ji East which is a dormitory and many more.

Shopping destination

Flea markets

The Japanese have a unique taste of fashion. The flea markets of Japan are the perfect example of this. The most famous flea market near Nara is the Kitano Tenmangu. You can find a huge variety of things in this market starting from antiques, ceramics, food and of course the innovative clothes of Japan. The To-ji market near Kyoto is believed to be the largest flea market of Japan.

Departmental Stores

Departmental stores are hugely popular in almost all cities of the world. Nara is also not an exception in this aspect. Numerous departmental stores are there in and around Nara. If you are a gadget freak then you must visit the Tokyu Hands departmental stores. If you are in search of unique men’s fashion in Nara then Hankyu Men’s departmental store is your only choice.

Street markets

Street markets are a special attraction of Nara. It can also be said that this is a special culture of Japan. The Higashimuki shopping street located just beside the Kintetsu Nara station is the most popular street market of Nara. The souvenir shops are the main attractions of this street market. There is also an open air mall known as Nara Atrium where you can find numerous shops and restaurants.

What to taste

Restaurants

Both Japanese restaurant and Indian restaurants are present in Nara. The best Japanese restaurants in Nara are Doudou, Parco, Wakakusa Curry Honpo, Edowaga Naramachi, Le Case, main dining Room Mikasa and many more. You can also get the test of Indian food in restaurants like Indian Restaurant Jay, Indian Restaurant Tagore, Shantei, Curry-dokoro Prana, Ragamara and many more.

Dishes

You should never forget to taste the mouth watering Japanese dishes available in Nara. Some restaurants in Nara will also offer you some innovative dish available in Nara only. Yakisoba chicken is one such delicious dish of Nara region which will be offered to you at a very reasonable price in any restaurant of Nara. You must also try the Japanese soups and stews.

What to do

Adventure

Nara is itself a place for adventure. Apart from the historic monuments some castles are also there where you can spend a day if you are an adventure loving person. The impenetrable Hemeji Castle is the most popular among them. The Oukonoin graveyard also deserves special mention. You can also spend an entire day amidst the reindeers and have a full adventure packed holiday.

Relaxation

If you are in a mood to relax after a day’s long journey then you can visit the Mellow Café which is a nice relaxing place. Here you will get a nice and cool atmosphere where you can sit and drink. There are also many hotels which provides spa and massage facilities which are also refreshing.

Nature

Nara itself is the natural locale of exotic landscapes. The gardens and small rivers give you a peace of mind. The natural beauty of Nara during the summers attracts a large number of tourists. The Nara dreamland is also a place of scenic beauty.

Night life

Live Music

Everyone loves music and wants to enjoy some relaxing moments when they are on a vacation. If you are a rock band lover then you can look for nay rock shows arranged by some hotels and clubs in Nara. Such shows are mainly arranged during peak seasons to give the travelers a new experience. Numerous renowned singers and rock idols also assembles in Nara to put up a live concert.

Clubs and Discos

Nightlife in Nara is equally enjoyable like its local tours. There are numerous clubs and discos where you can enjoy a fun packed night. There is also a group named as Tokyo Pub Crawl who will show you the best clubs and discos in the city. If you are a registered member of this group then you can also enjoy some added facilities in the clubs.

Bars and Pubs

You can even booze in the evenings in Nara at the popular pubs of the city. We all know that Tokyo is famous for pubs and bars. So, you can plan a day’s trip to Tokyo from Nara and take the taste of the nightlife there. The Steak Ciel Bleu is the best pub in the city of Nara.

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Nestled between the southern central region of the largest island of Japan Honshu, Nara is a splendid place to visit if you are looking for a picturesque setting for your next international holidays. Decked with religious spectacles and spectacular sceneries, Nara tour is all about exploring the history of the Japan through its ancient streets and temples. How many times do we sit down to find a magical travel destination to spend a few days of mirth and leisure with our loved ones?

Choosing Nara travel packages can treat us with an ideal location that would transport us into a world of beauty and historical significance. To know more about the place you can refer to any online Nara tourism guide.